Propelling device.



G. WESTINGHOUSE.

PROPELLING DEVICE.

urmou'mn FILED JULY 25, 1904.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w$ wiy G. WESTINGHOUSE.

PHOPELLING DEVIUE.

urmunxou FILED nuns. 1904.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

2 SHEETB-BHEET 2.

rm: NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGIVN, o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, OF IPIT'I'SIBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROPELLING DEVICE.

968,823. Specification of Letters Patent Patented Aug. 30, 1910.Application filed July 25, 1904. Serial No. 217,910.

To all whom it may concern: ranging and proportioning the parts such Beit known that I, GEORGE WESTING- difference in speed may be providedwithout HOUSE, a citizen of the United States, and any material orexcessive loss in efficiency, resident of Pittsburg, county ofAllegheny, because the portion of the net energy which 5 State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain is imparted to the fluid mediumpassing new and useful Improvements in Propelling through the pump whichis not expended in Devices, of which the following is a specifidrivingthe secondary element is expended cation. in thrust against the exteriorfluid medium.

For many purposes the steam turbine on One way of regarding theapparatus is to 1o gine is a desirable form'of prime mover, but view itas a centrifugal pump forcing fluid the normal and efficient speed atwhich the outwardly and tending to propel the prime screw-propeller of asteamship should be mover by ejecting force while a portion of driven isso greatly less than the normal the energy is communicated through thespeed at which a turbine of convenient size pump to the exteriorpropeller. The ques- 15 can efficiently operate, that a directconnection as to which of these forces shall pre tion between the shaftof a turbine and a dominate is determined in any case by the propellercan only be resorted to by the use conditions thereof. Various difierentwell of propellers and turbines both of abnormal known forms ofcentrifugal pumps may be proportions, and then not without seriouslyreadily adapted to the purpose. 20 affecting the efficiency of theapparatus as a There are various uses other than the prowhole, andencountering other serious diffipulsion of ships to which the broadprinciculties due to the large space required for inples of my inventionare applicable, but for stalling such abnormal turbines. For like thepurposes of description it is more conreasons, the normal speed of theturbine envenient to consider it in connection with a 25 gine is toogreat for the operation of a propturbine-driven ship.

erly proportioned centrifugal pump. In the accompanying drawings; Figure1 My present invention relates to a method is a longitudinal crosssection of a portion of of applying the power of a turbine at a pre aship equipped with a turbine and propelferred speed, for the propulsionof vessels ling apparatus embodying the general fea- 30 and for othersimilar uses in an economical tures of my invention; Fig. 2 is an endviewand effective manner, and securing a rate of thereof; and Fig. 3 isa detail. revolution of a propeller best suited to the Referring to thedrawings, 1, represents requirements. a portion of the hull of a ship,and, 2, rep- The general plan of the invention conresents a portion ofthe shaft of a steam 35 sists in combining with an ordinary proturbineof which there may be any desired peller and its shaft, a relativelysmall pronumber, one shaft only being shown for the peller driven by theturbine, and causing present purposes. The shaft of the turbine this toact both as a propeller and the priprojects through the stern of theship in any mary element of a pump, the secondary of usual andconvenient manner and carries at 40 which is attached to and forms partof a its end a screw-propeller, 4, having for inmain propeller. The rateof revolution of stance, twelve blades 5. A hollow shaft, 6, thesecondary element with the main propelsurrounds the shaft 2 and carriesa main ler, will be dependent upon the slip between propeller, 7, whichin this instance is shown the primary and the secondary elements of ashaving four blades 8. These blades carry 45 the pump. If, for instance,the primary a ring or cylinder, 9, inclosing the propeller elementrevolves at the rate of, say, 900 rev- 4. The outer end of the cylinder9 is prolutions per minute and the slip between the vided with inclinedblades, 10, arranged in primary and secondary elements be such suchmanner as to be driven forward by the that the secondary revolves atone-third the pressure of the water forced against them by 50 speed ofthe primary, then the main propelthe revolution of the inner propeller4. In ler will revolve at the rate of 300 revolutions this manner thepropeller 4: acts as the priper minute. In a general way the diflermaryelement of a pump and the blades 10 ence of 600 revolutions per minutebetween and their support, as the secondary element. the two elementsrepresents the energy ex- I The blades 5 are here shown as provided 55pended in communicating motion and power with transverse walls 12 forpreventing a to the main propeller, but by properly aruseless andwasteful radial movement of the water Within the space between theblades and 10. In the drawing, I have shown two sets of these wallsmaking in eifeot practically two cylindrical partitlons Within thecircumference of the propeller 4. Similar Walls 13, are shown for theblades 10, for better insuring the direct flow of the water passingoutward from the propeller 4.

When the steam turbine is driven at the speed best suited to secure thehighest efficiency water will be drawn between the inner portions of theblades of the propeller 7 and forced outward against the blades 10,causing the main propeller 7, to revolve at a rate which will bedependent upon the proportions of the operative parts and the consequentslip between the two elements. By suitably adjusting the parts, thisslip may be made such as to secure any desired relative rate ofrevolution on the part of the main propeller. For instance, in a givencase, it may be desired to drive the turblne at, say, 900 revolutionsper minute and the main propeller at, say, 300 revolutlons per minute.The diameter of the main propeller may he, say, sixteen feet and of theinner propeller, say, eight feet.

In constructing propellers of the ordinary type it is obvious thoughimpossible of reallzation that the best advantages would result ifapproximately the same speed in feet per minute could be attained byeach portion of the propeller blades regardless of their distance fromthe center of revolution. In the construction described herein it willbe observed that a high speed is secured on the part of the propeller4:, thus approximating the rate of the outer ends of the main propeller.This combination of two propellers as herein described results insecuring more nearly the desirable propeller blade rate of speed on thepart of the entire combination, with the attendant advantages.

The energy is imparted by the turbine to the propeller 4c, and sets inmotion the water between it and the blades 10, in such a man ner thatthe reactive effect of the water emerging from between these blades ismostly expended in rotating the main propeller 7 any remaining energy isutilized in assisting propulsion by the reaction against the water offlotation. In this way it is believed a high efiiciency can be obtainedby properly proportioning the operative parts since the losses shouldonly be those incidental to the friction of the water. The blades 5 areshown as extending in an inclined direction for the purpose of bringingthe parts in close relation to the stern of the vessel and rendering theentire structure strong and compact. It will be further un derstood thatthe apparatus may be driven in the reverse direction for the purpose ofbacking a ship, the operation under such circumstances being apparent.

tion and may be variously modified to meet the requirements of differentcases. It will also be understood that the inner propeller may be of ageneral form and construction similar to that employed in centrifugalpumps or water turbines.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a vessel, a prime mover carried thereby, apropeller, propelling blades driven by the fiuid acted upon by thepropeller, and a second propeller driven by said propelling blades.

2. The combination of a prime mover and a fluid pump comprising primaryand secondary elements, the primary element of which is driven by theprime mover, a propeller attached directly to and driven by thesecondary element of the pump, the arrangement being such that the flowof fluid through the secondary element is utilized for aiding in thepropulsive effort of said propeller.

3. The combination of a steam turbine, a propeller directly driventhereby, a second propeller of larger diameter, and blades carriedthereby acted upon by fluid pressure produced by the first namedpropeller to drive the second propeller.

4. The combination with a screw-propeller and a prime mover, of anintermediate speed reducing device, comprising a propeller directlydriven by the prime mover, a water turbine driven thereby, andcommunicating its motion to the first named propeller.

5. In combination with a propeller secured to and driven by a rotatableshaft, a casing rotatably mounted on said shaft and provided withoutwardly extending blades on one side of the propeller and a set ofinwardly extending blades located at the other side of said propeller.

6. In combination with a propeller secured to and driven by a rotatableshaft, a casing rotatably mounted on said shaft and inclosing saidpropeller and a set of radial blEhClBS mounted on each side of said proeer. p 7. The combination with a main propeller, of a second high speedpropeller, a

casing surrounding said second propeller and secured to said mainpropeller, and means whereby the fluid delivered by said secondpropeller is eflective in driving said main propeller.

8. The combination with a high speed propeller, of radially extendingpropeller blades mounted in front and radially extending propellerblades mounted in the rear of said propeller, of means whereby the fluiddelivered to the blades to the rear of said propeller is effective indriving the blades located in front of said-propeller.

9. In combination with a propeller, means for abstracting a portion ofthe velocity energy transmitted to the immersing fluid and devicesdriven by said means for imparting rotary motion to the fluid deliveredto said propeller and for imparting longi tudinal motion to a body offluid surrounding said propeller.

10. In combination with a propeller, means for abstracting a portion ofthe velocity energy transmitted to the immersing fluid and devices,driven by said means, for imparting rotary motion to the fluid deliveredto said propeller.

11. In combination with a propeller secured to and driven by a rotatableshaft, a casing rotatably mounted on said shaft and inclosing saidpropeller and blades mounted on said casing and on opposite sides of thepropeller for abstracting a portion of the velocity of the fluidimpelled by said propeller and for driving said casing.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New Yorkthis 22nd day of July A. D. 1904.

' GEO. WESTINGHOUSE.

Witnesses:

H. C. TENER, WM. H. CAPEL.

